State law gives the Russellville City Council no choice but to appoint a replacement for former Ward 1 alderman Cliff Kirchner - who resigned effective the first of the month after accepting a job in Springdale - during its August meeting next week.

We applaud the council's members in agreeing during their meeting last week to follow the law, despite a relative certainty there would be little, if any, penalty for failure to do so.

At the same time, we believe the motivations, if not the machinations, of those aldermen who suggested the council simply leave the vacant seat open until January were sound.

You see, voters will be asked to elect a Ward 1 representative to the same position in just three short months. That person will take office in January. With so little time left before the election - indeed, local races are already heating up - any action the council takes in appointing an eighth municipal officer will read like an endorsement.

And the publicity that surrounds the appointment process, including front-page newspaper coverage, among other exposure, will give the appointed alderman an additional "leg up" should he or she decide to run for "reelection" come November.

What's the solution?

We believe aldermen should commit to appointing a placeholder of sorts to the seat - someone who pledges he or she will not seek the office in November. Doing so will allow the informed voters in Ward 1 the most, best control over their future representation. It will also allow the city to stay in compliance with state law while allowing its citizens the greatest aegis over their interests possible.

We've editorialized before about the problems we believe the council presents in allowing itself to self-regenerate. This time, it doesn't have a choice.

But the damage to the will of the people can - and should - be limited.

- The Courier

Note: Those who live in Ward 1 and are interested in submitting their resumes for appointment consideration - in keeping, we hope, with the opinions expressed above - should contact Russellville City Hall no later than Wednesday.